Here’s a look at some of the differences between existing law and the proposed revisions.

Equal Pay Act

Existing law allows employers to pay women less only for reasons of seniority, merit and productivity. Doesn’t really protect against managers who make up excuses for thinly veiled sexist reasons like “personality” or something tough to pinpoint.

A plaintiff successful in court can demand back pay for two prior years, though no punitive damages.

Under Gillibrand’s proposed bill, employers can pay women less than men based on productivity, seniority, merit or a (honestly) legit professional reason (say, the guy has more credentials, for example).

In court, a plaintiff can sue for two years’ back retroactive pay with medical and retirement benefits and punitive damages.

Under this new act, you would get to share salary information with your peers, which could grant women a powerful edge in pay negotiations.

“Some of it is about personal choice: Men are more apt to pursue careers in high-paying fields like computer science, engineering, and finance, while women are more likely to go into education, child care, and social sciences—careers that pay less (Why those fields pay less is another story altogether),” Joiner notes in her Marie-Claire article) “We’re more likely to leave the workforce or go part-time during our corporate-ladder climb to start or take care of families. But our personal choices don’t explain away the gap entirely: Even when we don’t leave the workplace, we’re paid less. Even when we choose careers in science, tech, and engineering, we’re paid less. We’re even paid less right out of college.”

It’s complicated. The disparity’s there, but it exists for a number of reasons ranging from sociologically ingrained discrimination, personal choice and incomplete legislation. At least fortifying legal protections gets us closer to some semblance of equity.

You got to start somewhere.

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